RUGS & CARPETS

The Winton Castle Indian Carpet

5 May 2025

Gavin Strang

We are proud to present The Winton Castle Indian Carpet at auction on 15^th May 2025 as part of Five Centuries. The largest handwoven carpet in Scotland this beautiful example, thought to have been created in Agra, was commissioned by Lady Ruthven of Winton Castle in 1846.

Winton Castle is situated on the north bank of the Tyne Water by Pencaitland village in East Lothian, some 13 miles south-east of Edinburgh. It was originally built by the Seton family in 1480, damaged in 1544 and rebuilt around 1620, when its renowned plaster ceilings were created. Further additions were added between 1797 and 1805, after it had been bought by the Hamilton Nisbet family in 1779. In 1804 Winton was inherited by Lady Ruthven (1781-1885) and it was she who commissioned the creation of this impressive carpet, to be produced in India for the Drawing Room at Winton.

Five Centuries

Explore our Wednesday 14 & Thursday 15 May 2025 auction of European art, sculpture and fine furniture.

From around the beginning of the 19th century, carpet production in India was mainly carried out under the watch of the East India Company, who assumed a role in reviving the industry, mainly for export to Britain and Europe. Many manufactories were founded, including some in jails, mainly in the north of the country; from Amritsar to Agra and beyond. Indian carpets became increasingly popular in the West when the public saw the impressive examples on display at the Great Exhibition of 1851 in London and demand rocketed through the second half of the 19th century.

The commissioning of this carpet by Lady Ruthven in 1846 was therefore at the forefront of a trend and would mark her as a taste setter in choosing such a piece for the Drawing Room at Winton.

Exactly where the Winton carpet was made remains a matter of some conjecture. It is generally understood that in the 19th century there were a number of carpet weaving centres producing similar styles of product and it is very difficult to identify them with absolute precision today. However, many of the largest carpets were woven in Agra and it might be safe to assume that this piece, thought to be the largest handwoven carpet in Scotland, was produced there. Later in the 19th century, Agra would weave the huge 24-metre-long carpet for the Waterloo Chamber at Windsor Castle for Queen Victoria, installed in 1894.

THE LARGEST HANDWOVEN CARPET IN SCOTLAND

THE WINTON CASTLE INDIAN CARPET

the abrash light green field with allover burgundy and ochre medallion pattern, within light green border

1220cm x 592cm

£25,000-35,000 + fees

Like other carpets produced in India at this time, the design of this carpet has a distinctly cross-cultural feel, combining both Indian and European influences. It was often the case that the design of Indian carpets was devised with the European market in mind and it may even be that this is a unique pattern specifically for Winton. Whilst the border is a stylised and simplified version of 17th century Mughal patterns, the ‘elephants’ foot’ rosette design of the field is more unusual. It is at once reminiscent of motifs in Indian architecture, but also of Turkoman ‘guls’ and at the same time similar to the allover designs found on English needlepoint carpets of the period, but without the floral embellishments. There is also a theory that the design reflects the impressive plasterwork ceiling of the Drawing Room at Winton.

Having been produced in the 1850s, there was dramatic moment early in the carpet’s existence, when it was temporarily ‘lost’ during the Indian Rebellion of 1857-58 and Lord and Lady Ruthven travelled to India in the aftermath to track it down. It was eventually rediscovered and continued its journey towards its final destination at Winton Castle, where it has graced the Drawing Room floor for around 165 years.

Over a century and a half since it was installed, the family have now decided to take the opportunity to commission new carpets for the Drawing Room at Winton and therefore to offer this magnificent piece to a new home.

Sir Francis Ogilvy, current custodian of Winton Castle commented "the carpet is being sold with something of a heavy heart having been treasured by family and by visitors from around the world for generations. The intention is to offer it a graceful retirement from active duty in what is now a busy hospitality venue as much as a home. There is plenty life in the old girl so it is hoped that the pleasure it has given will continue for the new owners as it gave to the family who have cherished it for the past 170 years."

Discover more about the history of Winton Castle here